According to the recently released global social media study by Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, home of “Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft” more than 60% of respondents use social media to stay in touch with family and friends while traveling while more than a third (36%) say they’d rather log on than make a call to share good news.

Pictured left: The iPad and iPhone, popular social media mediums 

A whopping 80% say they access social media sites throughout the day, 39% say they cannot live without social media with one-third of users logging on multiple times an hour.

The study was conducted by STUDYLOGIC LLC, which surveyed 4,204 people via phone in the U.S., U.K. and China.

Other findings from the study:

Social networking blurs lines between business, pleasure

Careful what you post. Before meeting a new business contact, more than half of those surveyed check out their new contact’s social networking profiles (54%). Nearly 60% say they have not hired a candidate based on a negative impression from a social-media profile. More than half (54%) of respondents say they know someone who has been fired for something said or posted online.

Regardless of pitfalls, social networking’s popularity as a networking tool continues to grow. More than half of all respondents (56%) agreed about the importance of doing business with people active in social media channels; 55% use online social networking to meet new business contacts and maintain current ones.

And many use social media to mix business and pleasure – literally. More than half of those surveyed have arranged a romantic interlude on the road using social networks, with men more likely to do so (45%) than women (40%).

Fact or fiction?

Don’t always believe what you read. Nearly 70% of respondents say they aren’t honest on social networking sites; 27% of those fib “a little,” 21% flat-out “lie,” and 20% admit that their postings are total fabrications. Women are more inclined to tell little white lies online; men were more likely to be 100% honest (46%) versus their female counterparts (18%).

Who are people visiting while on the road?

More than 50% of all Sheraton guests use the Link@Sheraton during their stay. Facebook is the most visited site at the Link@Sheraton, with 75% of Link users logging in during their stay. More than 60% of those surveyed (62%) find that social media makes it easier for them to meet people while travelling for work.

Social media as a travel planning tool: 64% say yes

Sixty-four percent said they use social media to make their travel plans and within the 25-34 year old participant group, the number is even higher; 76% look to popular social media sites to plan their next getaway.

“Along with the bigger shift toward social media from other forms of communication, what the survey drove home for us was that an experience like Link@Sheraton isn’t a luxury for guests, but a necessity,” said Hoyt Harper, SVP and Global Brand Leader for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “They expect total connectivity, and that’s what Sheraton’s delivering,”

The Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft is a signature component of the Sheraton brand’s US$6 billion global effort to enhance the brand and differentiate the guest experience at properties worldwide. The Link@Sheraton’s unique lobby lounge enables today’s travellers to stay connected with instant access to information and technology for work, leisure and social networking. Designed as a social environment, The Link@Sheraton invites guests to interact with each other while they check their email, research local attractions and even print boarding passes using free Wi-Fi and Internet-enabled computer stations. It also features a Link@Sheraton Café, televisions and daily newspapers.

To extend the experience beyond The Link@Sheraton, the brand’s online community can share their travel experiences, recommendations and more at SheratonBetterWhenShared.com. The Sheraton global community will continue to stir up conversation in Twitter (@SheratonHotels) and Facebook (facebook.com/sheratonhotelsandresorts) with contests, travel ideas and special offers.
 

Featured image credit (Mobile devices): Ockra/iStock